Is Oregano safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Oregano. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Twenty nursing mothers who were nursing their infants with a mean of 25 weeks of age were served a standardized curry dish that contained an average of 1.1 mg of eugenol, and 35 mg of linalool. Mothers donated one milk sample each before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 h after the eating the curry dish. Eugenol reached its maximum concentration in milk after 1 hour in two participants, after 2 hours in two participants, after 3 hours in three participants, after 4 hours in one participant after 5 hours in two participants, after 6 hours in three participants and after 8 hours in three participants. In seven participants, eugenol was not detected in milk. Peak milk eugenol concentrations ranged from 0.29 to 11.43 mcg/L. Eugenol concentrations averaged 200% higher after milk samples were treated with beta-glucuronidase, indicating transfer of conjugated eugenol into milk.[ 3 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Oregano is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.